| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Captain Compassion" |
| Date: |
04 Aug 2004 09:53:14 AM |
| Object: |
Warning Received |
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Warning Received
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Terrorism: Your government tells you it has solid intelligence of an
impending attack. Quick — what do you do? Of course, you scoff. Or
suggest it's merely political.
That's the sorry state of America's political discourse today: that a
serious, credible warning of a possible terror attack leads not to
calls for action, but to cries of political mischief and worse.
Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge warned Sunday of an increased threat
of terrorist attacks on financial "icons" — like the World Bank, IMF
and New York Stock Exchange — in three cities.
He cited compelling evidence from recent raids in Pakistan, including
computer disks and 500 photographs, diagrams and drawings of some
potential targets in the U.S.
British intelligence added it has a captured al-Qaida operative it
deems "credible" who has said an attack is planned on U.S. financial
centers on or about Sept. 2 — 60 days before the U.S. election.
Sounded pretty serious to us. After all, we still remember the March
11 Madrid train bombing, which killed 190, injured 1,800 and came just
days before that country's election.
Others, apparently, don't remember that event.
"I am concerned that every time something happens that's not good for
President Bush, he plays this trump card, which is terrorism," said
ex-Democratic candidate Howard Dean, who now works with John Kerry.
"His whole campaign is based on the notion that, 'I can keep you safe,
therefore, in times of difficulty for America, stick with me,' and
then out comes Tom Ridge."
The media also took a whack at Bush for the terror warning. MSNBC's
Keith Olbermann basically called him a liar.
"History tells us presidents have exaggerated threats to the public
safety to gain political advantage or simplify complex needs of
strategy," he said. "Ask Lyndon Johnson. Ask William McKinley. Do we
need to ask George W. Bush?"
Over at ABC, anchor Don Dahler noted "the last press conference that
Secretary Ridge made happened to fall right after Senator Edwards was
announced as a vice presidential candidate."
Big newspapers were also dubious. The New York Times, Washington Post
and others ran reports Tuesday noting that much of the intelligence
for this attack was "old" — some even pre-dating 9-11.
Yes, some of the surveillance activity by al-Qaida operatives of
potential U.S. targets came in 2000 and 2001.
But so what? The U.S. detected similar activity around its Embassies
in East Africa as early as 1993. Al-Qaida didn't get around to bombing
those targets until five years later.
If there's one thing we now know about al-Qaida, it's meticulous in
its planning. It's also patient — and utterly ruthless once it acts.
We also know this: In the current, highly charged political
atmosphere, if the White House didn't warn us of an impending attack
and one happened, there would be political hell to pay.
So now we've been warned. It's up to us to be vigilant — and to stop
listening to those who would play politics with homeland security.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
'That ideological base (Kyoto) can be juxtaposed and compared with
man-hating totalitarian ideology with which we had the bad fortune to
deal during the 20th century, such as National Socialism, Marxism,
Eugenics, Lysenkoism and so on. All methods of distorting information
existing in the world have been committed to prove the alleged validity
of these theories. Misinformation, falsification, fabrication, mythology,
propaganda. Because what is offered cannot be qualified in any other way
than myth, nonsense and absurdity.' - Andrei Illarionov Russian Economist
"Long term commitment in relationships is only necessary because it takes
so damn long to raise children. Marriage may well be some kind of trick
to keep the males around beyond sexual satiation." -- Captain Compassion
"Progress is the increasing control of the environment by life.
--Will Durant
Joseph R. Darancette
res0mp8t@NOSPAMverizon.net
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| User: "Adrian Bailey" |
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| Title: Re: Warning Received |
04 Aug 2004 10:48:52 AM |
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"Captain Compassion" <res0mp8t@NOSPAMverizon.net> wrote in message
news:gut1h01v10r69vdpr1nfrdfr7m1avgv03a@4ax.com...
So now we've been warned. It's up to us to be vigilant - and to stop
listening to those who would play politics with homeland security.
The GOP, you mean?
Adrian
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| User: "PagCal" |
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| Title: Re: Warning Received |
05 Aug 2004 05:36:59 AM |
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What has Bush done about preventing future attacks in the US?
Nothing much.
For example, you can still buy the precursors for a bomb on the open
market in the US. Ammonimum Nitrate is still openly available in the
midwest.
Unlike Europe, where they don't sell straight-up Ammonium Nitrate, we
still do. The Europeans mix theirs with lime, which farmers use anyway,
to prevent it from exploding. As well, the Europeans have restrictions
on sales which effectively prevent terrorists from purchasing and using
it as bombs.
Just look at a second potential terrorist weapon; the 50 cal rifle. You
can buy those in the US (with AP rounds even). Any terrorist cell could
buy a few, sit down at the end of a runway, and plunk at planes taking
off. Sooner or later, they'll get lucky and bring one down.
In Europe, a civilian can't buy such a weapon, and therefore, this route
of terrorism is not open to them.
So, what has Bush done to make our homeland safer - precious little.
Rewarming four year old terror alerts doesn't cut it.
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| User: "Docky Wocky" |
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| Title: Re: Warning Received |
05 Aug 2004 07:28:09 AM |
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Gee! I never realized them Europeons were so dangerous or stupid their
governments had to put lime in their ammonium nitrate so it wouldn't blow up
on their klutzie farmers. I wonder what them governments put in their foods
to keep them under control?
Then they can't buy .50 caliber shooters. Holy smokes! How do they rid their
farm fields of groundhogs, prairie dogs, or moslem squatters?
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| User: "MrPepper11" |
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| Title: Re: Warning Received |
05 Aug 2004 09:17:50 AM |
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Captain Compassion <res0mp8t@NOSPAMverizon.net> wrote in message news:<gut1h01v10r69vdpr1nfrdfr7m1avgv03a@4ax.com>...
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Warning Received
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Terrorism: Your government tells you it has solid intelligence of an
impending attack. Quick ? what do you do? Of course, you scoff. Or
suggest it's merely political.
That's the sorry state of America's political discourse today: that a
serious, credible warning of a possible terror attack leads not to
calls for action, but to cries of political mischief and worse.
Yeah. In other news, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge today
announced NEW, SPECIFIC, CREDIBLE intelligence that the Spice Girls
are splitting up...
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